Off-Broadway Access Review -
Teeth

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Image of the Teeth Playbill in front of the stage at New World Stages (Stage 1) with the text “Access Review” on top

 

General Note

This is a review of the accessibility of the theater, of the lighting/sound/scent design of the show, and a list of content warnings as a way to prep folks with various needs before they go see it. 

This is not meant to scare anyone away from seeing the show. Most productions have about the same amount of content warnings and sensory warnings to go along with it, they’re just rarely explicitly written down. 

For some people, knowing these things ahead of time makes it easier to enjoy the show because they know what to expect. And, often, makes those people more likely to see it in the first place. I hope that it’s helpful! 

I am also happy to clarify any specifics, just send me a message or an email and I will respond when I can.

Also please note that I make these while seeing a show for the first time, so I may miss some cues or be slightly off as to their placement/cue line!

Theater

New World Stages

All comments on the accessibility of lighting are in reference to seats in the right middle orchestra of Stage 1

Bathrooms:

  • divided into the binary but have a sign that says “Gender diversity is welcome here. Please use the restroom that best fits your identity or expression”

  • these restrooms are wheelchair accessible

Other theater accessibility:

  • the entrance to New World Stages is step-free and there is an elevator to each theater level

  • they offer assisted listening and induction loop systems at the audience services desk

Click here for more information on the physical accessibility of this theater.

Light/Sound/Scent

General:

  • the show runs 1 hour 50 min with no intermission

  • I didn’t need earplugs for this show but others did so I’d advise packing them 

  • the cross that is center stage is outlined in LEDs

  • the first few rows are a splash zone for blood & smoke

  • in regards to eye strain, most of the movement mentioned here was not super straining for me until the last ~10-15 minutes of the show

  • you can sometimes smell the haze, that dissipates quickly

  • a lot of the light cues extend out into the audience 

  • the sensory accessibility of this show is similar to that of Titanique, Six, and Tommy

Pre-Show: medium volume music playing

The Show:

  • starts suddenly with a loud crash and small flash

  • Precious Gift - shifting down lights on the audience at the end, followed by moving white projections and a lot of on/off blue lights

  • after Pastor and Dawn exit, there are blue LED outlines, an up/down slightly pulsing scanner on the back wall, and what I would consider to be a blue/white strobe pulsing at ~30-40% so it isn’t super strong. This is the standard design for all of the Truthseeker bits, I believe this is the longest consecutive time in the show (~5 min)

    • this becomes Between Her Thighs which includes a lot of haze and the occasional blue flash

    • flash & loud noise warning after “but when I did–”

  • Modest Is Hottest - spinning dot projection at the end and the occasional quick on light

  • flash after Shame in My Body, followed by another Truthseeker scene (CW for physical abuse here)

  • Playing With Fire - ~30 sec on/off flashy blue lights after jackets come off

  • Born Again - lots of on/off lights which become flashy LEDs and moving bulb lights along with on/off lights in the audience after “his mercy is so vast”

  • CW for the following scene, also there’s lots of haze. Ends with a red flash (blood warning)

  • Teeth - single lightning after all PKG are on stage, very hazy, lots of on/offs on each “teeth”, then Truthseeker lighting returns ~5-10 sec

  • Always the Woman - moving bulb lights, slow spinning and semi-flashy at the end

  • Truthseeker scene with about ~5 sec of vibratey bass

  • ?end of According to the Wiki - “Because I am hero!” - flash, then ~10 sec moving down lights

  • I’m Your Guy - confetti cannon at the end

  • after the PKGs all come out, there is significant haze and the occasional spinning down light and on/off flash

    • single lightning after Pastor is restrained

  • fire & smoke - it smells but that dissipates quickly

  • red strobe end of song 

  • moving water-esque lights over the audience and then ~10 sec of full stage red/blue strobes that speed up

  • green pulsing strobes (maybe ~50-60%) for awhile

  • white down light flash after apple is crushed

  • then on/off red flashing red light that speeds up until the end of the show (~10-20 sec)

Content Advisory

  • sex & simulated sex/masturbation

  • SA

  • physical abuse (parent-child)

  • religion & religious trauma

  • incels/misogyny

  • blood 

  • the f-slur is used once

Despite the content list, this is a comedy that is wonderfully chaotic throughout so the hard moments don’t sit with you for very long.